Mentoring makes a difference

KINGSTON, R.I. – March 9, 2023 – Students at URI, whether in their first year or last, find a wealth of resources and community members looking to help them navigate their path at the University and beyond.

URI 101 Mentors make a difference: applications due by March 20

Help others, become a leader, give back — students who are mentors to this year’s class of first-year students say these are the best reasons to get involved with the new student mentoring program at the University of Rhode Island.

Applications are now open for URI 101 mentors for the 2023 fall semester. New and returning mentors should apply by March 20 to mentor students in URI 101, the required class for all first-year students that helps them transition to college life.

The Student Alumni Association offers a range of networking opportunities for students, including a R.A.M.S. event in the Memorial Union on March 21.

Jada McCloggan is a communicative disorders major from Connecticut and says, “Being a mentor seemed like the perfect fit for me.” She calls the experience rewarding. “You may not feel like you’re getting anywhere with your students, but if they’re comfortable coming to you for questions or advice it means you’re doing something right.”

Mentors share vital information with students on getting involved, developing academic and personal skills, academic and career planning, using campus resources, and more. Applicants must be in good disciplinary and academic standing, committed to equity and inclusion, possess a strong work ethic, and be enrolled full time next fall.

Mollie Amaral says the program offers a great leadership opportunity for returning students. A kinesiology major from East Providence, she remembered what it was like to start at URI and wanted to help smooth that transition for first-year students coming after her. “College is about finding yourself as much as it is building a career path.” She counseled the students in her section of URI 101 “that it is OK to not know everything. Don’t worry, you will find yourself!”

Colin Murphy, a finance major from Connecticut, became a mentor out of a feeling of gratitude. “I gained a lot from my URI 101 experience,” he recalls, “and felt I should pass down the knowledge I gained to the next class of URI students.” Murphy says the experience improved his communication and leadership skills and he’s been glad to see the students in his class become more involved in the URI community.

To become a mentor next year or learn more, apply here or contact Marije Thomas in the Transfer Resource Center at marije.thomas@uri.edu.

#RamsGetJobs

Students further on in their URI experience are starting to think about life after graduation. It’s never too early to start preparing for that.

The Student Alumni Association and URI Foundation and Alumni Engagement Alumni Career Services are inviting students to attend R.A.M.S. (Rhody Alumni Mentoring Students). Students can network with experienced URI alumni from a variety of fields while enhancing their professional development through resume workshops, interview preparation, professional headshots and more.

Alumni Career Services offers URICareerConnect to students and URI alumni, to match alumni advisors and advisees for one-on-one conversations regarding career advice, resume critiques, mock-interviews, entrepreneurship, and more. It is open to all alumni and students.

Learn more at the R.A.M.S. event taking place on Tuesday, March 21 in the Memorial Union Ballroom, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Professional attire is suggested.